Hoyer Discusses the Republican Government Shutdown on CNBC's "Squawk Box"

“I don't think any American can feel happy about the situation we confront right now. Every economist predicts it's going to be costly to the economy, dangerous to our national security and undermine the confidence of the American people, and for the people who work for them in the United States government. This is a policy that is very negative, very harmful and rejected by approximately three fourths of the American people as a strategy that ought not to be pursued."

“[Republicans’] constant focus, their destructive obsession as I call it, with repealing the Affordable Care Act with which they don't agree. We know they don't agree with, the American public knew in the election they didn't agree with it. But the American people reelected the sponsor of that bill, Barack Obama. They reelected and expanded the majority of the United States Senate that adopted that piece of legislation. So it is unreasonable and irrational in my opinion to simply reject the voters of America who made a choice just a few months ago and say if you don't agree with us now, we're going to shut down the government which is what has happened.”